Feeding and sealing apparatus for bunkers, chutes, and the like



Feb. 28. 1956 BUNKERS, CHUTES, AND THE LIKE 3 SheetsSheet 1 Filed June 2, 1955 I H-r-rw INVENTOR, STANLEY M. MEECI ER u r N m A Pm Ow mm mm mm Mm mm mm N Mn &

Feb. 28. 1956 s M. MERCIER 2,736,439

FEEDING ANb SEALING APPARATUS FOR BUNKERS, CHUTES, AND THE LIKE Filed June 2, 1953 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 STANLEY M. MEECIEE,

BY MA M S. M. MERCIER FEEDING AND SEALING APPARATUS FOR Feb. 28. 1956 BUNKERS, CHUTES, AND THE LIKE 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed June 2, 1955 W? Iv klili lih INVENTOR, STANLEY M.MEECIER, BY )S vfir M Wk.

United States Patent FEEDING AND SEALlNG APPARATUS FOR BUNKERS, CHUTES, AND THE LIKE Stanley M. Mercier, Bexley, Ohio, assignor to The Jeffrey Manufacturing Company, a corporation of Ohio Application June 2, 1953, Serial No. 359,113

Claims. (Cl. 214-17) This invention relates to feeding and sealing apparatus for bunkers, chutes, and the like, of the type that include means that travels or shuttles along the feed opening means of material receiving means and closes or seals the feed opening means of the material receiving means except at the point or points therein where material is introduced into the receiving means.

An object of the invention is to provide improved apparatus of the type above set forth, wherein closure or seal means, preferably of the belt or strap type, is manipulated to close the feed opening means of the material receiving means except at the point or points therein where material is introduced into the material receiving means.

Another object of the invention is to provide improved apparatus of the type set forth, wherein a feeder means travels or shuttles along the feed opening means of a material receiving means, such as one or more bunkers, chutes, and the like, and wherein seal belt or strap means are manipulated by roll or reel means to close the feed opening means of the material receiving means except at the point or points therein where material is introduced into the material receiving means.

Another and more specific object of the invention is to provide an improved shuttle type conveyer feeder apparatus adapted to shuttle along the feed opening means of material receiving means, such as one or more bunkers, chutes, and the like, wherein belt or strap means is manipulated to close or seal the feed opening means between each of opposite ends of the feeder apparatus and the adjacent end of the feed opening means and wherein means below the conveyer means of the feeder apparatus, which is preferably but not necessarily in the form of a belt or strap, closes the feed opening means of the receiving means between and from adjacent said opposite ends of the feeder apparatus.

In carrying out the foregoing objects, it is another object of the invention to provide improved means for controlling the operation of the roll or reel means upon which the seal belts or straps are wound and unwound.

Other objects of the invention will appear hereinafter, the novel features and combinations being set forth in the appended claims.

- In the accompanying drawings:

Fig. 1 is a diagrammatic showing on a small scale, with parts broken away, of a building housing material storage bunkers fed through their tops by a shuttle conveyer;

Fig. 2. is a view in section, the section being taken on line 2-2 of Fig. 1 but showing two shuttle conveyers for feeding the bunkers;

Fig. 3 is a more or less diagrammatic view of one end of the shuttle conveyer seen in Fig. l, the view showing only the main elements thereof;

Fig. 4 is a view in plan of the apparatus seen in Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is a diagrammatic showing of some of the elements seen in Fig. 1 of the drawings and showing particularly one arrangement of mechanism for manipulating the seal belt or strap means that seal the feed opening means of the bunkers; and

Fig. 6 is an illustration similar to Fig. 5 but showing another arrangement of mechanism for manipulating the seal belt or strap means.

The structure shown in Fig. l of the drawings is a part of a material storage and distributing apparatus that may be employed for distributing various materials and which may be used with particular advantage in storing and distributing coal, for example, to a plurality of boilers, not shown. That portion of the distributing apparatus shown in Fig. 1 of the drawings includes a building 10 that is formed of two spaced storage sections or portions 11 and 12, and a long feeder house or shed portion 13. Feeder house 13 extends across the tops of the storage portions 11 and 12 and forms a connecting bridge between them. In the space between the storage sections 11 and 12 of building 10 there is a tower 14 fabricated of structural steel members and including steps 15 by which men may gain access to the feeder house 13 and a surge bin house 16 that extends above the top of feeder house 13 and is supported for the most part by tower 14. The side elements of the surge bin house 16 are omitted, and a portion of the feeder house 13 is broken away in Fig. 1 of the drawings in order that apparatus pertinent to the invention and housed therein may be seen more clearly.

A surge bin.l7 Within the surge bin house 16 receives coal to be stored and distributed which is fed thereto by one or more conveyers, not shown. Coal received by the surge bin,17 is fed from the bottom thereof by means of an electrically operated vibratory feeder conveyer 1.8 through a dust-tight hood 19 onto the endless belt conveyer 20 of a shuttle conveyer apparatus 21 in a sub-- stantially dust-proof manner.

Shuttle conveyer apparatus 21 is more fully described hereinafter and for the moment it will suflice to say of this apparatus that the endless belt conveyer 26 thereof operates over a pair of spaced end pulleys 22 and 23 and that it may be driven in reverse directions to feed coal from beneath the hood 19 to the right or left, as seen in Fig. 1 of the drawings, and that the entire shuttle.

conveyer apparatus21 may travel longitudinally within the feeder house 13 and above the tops of the storage sections or portions 11 and 12 to discharge coal into bunkers 24 and 25 housed in the storage portions 12 and 11, respectively, of building 10.

The storage means 24 and 25 are herein described as bunkers, but it is to be understood that they may be bins, hoppers, chutes, and the like, of any type adapted to receive material either for storage or distribution purposes. The bunkers 24 and 25 are arranged in side by side relation and have means in their tops that form feed openings 26 arranged on or about an axis that extends longitudinally of the feeder house or shed 13 and in the floor thereof. Material stored in the bunkers 24 and 25 may be fed by means, such as conveyers, to boilers, not shown. The feed opening means 26 above the bunkers 24 and 25, respectively, preferably, but not necessarily, form. a continuous elongated opening covered by one or more grids, grilles or grates 27 through which coal when discharged from the belt conveyer 20 may enter the bunkers 24 and 25.

When it is desired that a particular one of the bunkers 24 or 25 receive coal from the surge bin 17, the shuttle conveyer apparatus 21 is moved or shuttled bodily longitudinally along the axis of the feed opening means 26 to a position wherein one of the end pulleys 22 or 23, that carry the endless belt conveyer 20, is above the selected bunker 24 or 25, and the belt convieyer is then driven in a direction to convey coal from the feeder conveyer 18 and hood 19 to thatend thereof that is positioned above the selected bunker. Coal discharged from the belt conveyer will fall through the grating 27 and into the bunker.

It will be seen, of course, that the shuttle conveyer may feed the bunkers 24 and by being shuttled continuously from left to right, and vice. versa, as seen in Fig. 1 of the drawings, and that when the bunkers 24 are being fed with coal the endless belt conveyer 20 will be driven in a clockwise direction, and that when the bunkers 25 are being fed with coal the endless belt conveyer 20 will be driven in a counter-clockwise direction.

Shuttle conveyer apparatus 21 is substantially symmetrical about a central vertical plane and it may be of any desired length. In one embodiment the distance between the axial centers of the end pulleys 22 and 23 was 265 feet, but this dimension may be varied to suit the conditions of any installation.

Shuttle conveyer apparatus 21 includes an elongated main frame 28 (see Figs. 3 and 4) supported at each the rails 3t by a reversible motor and speed reducing mechanism indicated generally at 32 which is connected to drive the wheels 29 through chains 33 and 34 and sprockets mounted on the axles that carry the wheels 2?.

The endless belt conveyer 20 is trained by the end pulleys 22 and 23 to travel generally horizontally between them, and its upper or working run is troughed and supported by a plurality of troughing idler rolls 35 of well known construction that are supported upon the main frame 28 by spaced upright members, not shown. The lower or non-working run of endless belt conveyer 2th is supported between the end pulleys 22 and 23 by a plurality of straight idler rolls 36 also supported by main frame 28 by elements not shown.

Each pulley 22 and 23, as well as an adjacent portion of the belt conveyor 20, is contained within the housing means of the shuttle conveyer apparatus 21. As indicated by the drawings, this housing means may be comprised of two substantially identical chutes, hoods or casings 37 and 38. Casing 38 supports the motor apparatus 32 and it also supports a reversible motor and speed reducing mechanism 39 that drives the pulley 23 through chain and sprocket mechanism indicated generally at 4%. Coal discharged from the belt conveyer 20 over the pulley 22 or 23 will be directed by one of the chutes, hoods or casings 37 or 38 onto the grate 27 through which it will pass to enter the bunkers 24 or 25 therebelow.

A light weight belt or strap 41 of canvas, or like material, is carried by the shuttle apparatus 21 below the endless belt conveyer 20 for sealing the feed opening means of the bunkers 24 and 25 between the end pulleys 22 and 23. This belt or strap 41 is actually a split loop formed by a pair of rolls 42 and 43 carried by main frame 28 within the chutes, hoods or casings 38 and 37, respectively, so as to rotate upon axes that extend transversely of the feed opening means 26 of bunkers 24 and 25. The upper portion 44 of the loop formed in the seal belt 41 by rolls 42 and 43 is supported between them by rollers 45, one of which is seen in Fig. 3 of the drawings. The lower portions 46 of the seal belt 41 rest directly upon the grating 27 and thus close the feed opening means of the bunkers 24 and 25 between the pulleys 22 and 23 which are adjacent opposite ends of the casing means of the shuttle conveyer apparatus 21.-

The ends of portions 46 of seal belt 41 are each attached to the floor of the feeder house by a belt tensioning device indicated at 47, which tensioning devices are located substantially directly below the surge bin 37 in order that the shuttle conveyer may travel equal distances to either side thereof. It will be seen that as the shuttle conveyer apparatus 21 travels in either direction that one of the sealing portions 46 of the seal belt 41 will be lifted from the grating 27 by one roller 42 or 43 while the other sealing portion 46 will be laid or rolled over tne grating 27 by the other roller 42 or 43, thus providing a traveling seal over the grate 27 for the feed opening means 26 from adjacent the opposite ends of the housing means 3738 of the feeder conveyer apparatus 21.

The feed opening means 26 of the bunkers 24 and 25 between its opposite ends and the adjacent ends of the chutes, hoods or cas'mgs 37 and 38 are closed by a pair of seal belts or straps 48 and 49 preferably formed of canvas, or like material. One end of each of these seal belts or straps is secured to the building portion 11 or 12 and they each extend over and rest upon the grating 27 about a roll 50 or 51, around which they bend and extend to a reel 52 or 53 carried by the main frame 28 of shuttle conveyer 21 adjacent the chutes, housings or casings 38 and 37, respectively. Rolls 50 and 51 press the seal belts 48 and 49 into engagement with the grating 27 in order that a good seal between the belts and grating may be had, particularly adjacent the housings 37 and 38.

As the shuttle conveyer travels along the rails 30, one of the seal belts 48 or 49 will be unwound from its carrying reel 52 or 53 and laid upon the grating 27, while the other seal belt 48 or 49 will be lifted from the grating 27 and wound upon its supporting reel 52 or 53. It will thus be seen that the seal belt 41 and seal belts 48 and 49 cooperate at all times to seal the feed opening means 26 of the bunkers 24 and 25 throughout their full lengths except at those points adjacent the pulleys 22 and 23 and below or within the chutes, hoods or casings 37 and 38 of the feed housing means of shuttle conveyer 21. It will also be seen that as the conveyer apparatus 21 travels along the rails 30 the reels 52 and 53 will necessarily be required to rotate at different speeds relative to each other and that the speed of rotation of each of them will vary according to the amount of seal belt that is Wound thereon.

In order that the reels may rotate as required while applying tension to the seal belts 48 and 49, the seal belt reels 52 and 53 are interconnected by a weight operating motor means that includes a cable 54. One end of cable 54 is wound upon a drum 55 which in turn drives the seal belt reel 52, and the other end of cable 54 is wound upon a drum 56 that drives the seal belt reel 52. The Winding of the cable on the drums 55 and 56 is under the control of suitable level wind devices, one of which is seen at 57 in Figs. 3 and 4 of the drawings. The level wind apparatuses 57 are driven through suitable chain and sprocket mechanisms, one of which is indicated at 58, by the reels 52 and 53.

Between the level wind devices 57 the cable 54 may rest directly upon the floor of the conveyor house 13 and substantially at the center of the length thereof the cable is looped downwardly over a pair of spaced sheaves 59. The looped portion of cable 54 between sheaves 59 supports a weight so that applies tension to the cable 54. Cable 54 is wound upon the drums 55 and 56 so that it tends to rotate them in directions whereby they apply tension to the seal belts 4S and 49.

In the embodiment of the invention above described, the building It) includes two sets of bunkers 24 and 25, and the reels 52 and 53 are driven to tension the seal belts 48 and 49 by a cable means carrying a weight located between the building portions 11 and 12. However, the invention may be applied with equal facility to'systems wherein the bunkers are not separated into sets, such as sets 24 and 25 above described. The bunkers may be adjacent each other and in one continuous row, as shown in Fig. 6 of the drawings. In this embodiment of the invention the shuttle conveyer 21 may feed the bunkers located to the right and left of the center of the bunker house 61, and an individual weight operated means may be employed to rotate each of the reels 52 and 53. In this apparatus the seal belt reel 52 is rotated to tension the seal belt 48 by a cable 62 that extends from the level wind device 57 over a sheave 63 and down one side of the bunkers to a weight 64 that draws on the cable 62 to rotate the reel. The other seal belt reel is driven by a means identical to that above described.

Fig. 2 of the drawings shows an installation including the invention, wherein two shuttle conveyer apparatuses 21 are positioned side by side to feed the bunkers therebelow.

From the foregoing it will be seen that this invention provides an improved feeding and sealing apparatus for bunkers, chutes, and the like, wherein belt or strap sealing means are manipulated in a novel manner and by novel means to seal the feed opening or openings of material receiving means, and that the seal belts will at all times be maintained under tension even though the reels upon which they are wound are required to rotate at different and varying speeds as the feeder conveyer shuttles longitudinally along the axis of the feed opening means.

Obviously those skilled in the art may make various changes in the details and arrangement of parts without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the claims hereto appended, and applicant therefore wishes not to be restricted to the precise construction herein disclosed.

Having thus described and shown an embodiment of the invention, what it is desired to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

l. Feeder means adapted to shuttle along a longitudinal axis about which the feed opening forming means of material receiving means is arranged, said feeder means including substantially dust tight housing means, means for closing said feed opening means between each of opposite ends of said housing means and the adjacent end of said feed opening means including a pair of seal belts, means mounting each of said seal belts adjacent one of said opposite ends of said housing means, a pair of reel means each adapted to carry one of said seal belts whereby one of said belts winds on one of said reels and the other of said belts winds olf of the other of said reels as said feeder housing means shuttles along said longitudinal axis, and means urging said reels to wind said seal belts thereon whereby said reels may rotate at diiferent speeds as said feeder housing means shuttles along said longitudinal axis.

2. Feeder means adapted to shuttle along a longitudinal axis about which the feed opening forming means of material receiving means is arranged, said feeder means including substantially dust tight housing means, means for closing said feed opening means between each of opposite ends of said housing means and the adjacent end of said feed opening means including a pair of seal belts, a pair of reels, means mounting said reels to shuttle with said dust tight housing whereby one of said belts winds on one of said reels and the other of said belts winds off of the other of said reels as said feeder housing means shuttles along said longitudinal axis, and means urging said reels to wind said seal belts thereon whereby said reels may rotate at different speeds as said feeder housing means shuttles along said longitudinal axis.

3. Feeder means adapted to shuttle along a longitudinal axis about which the feed opening forming means of material receiving means is arranged, said feeder means including substantially dust tight housing means, means for closing said feed opening means between each of op- 6 posite ends of said housing means and the adjacent end of said feed opening means including a pair of seal belts, roll means carried adjacent each of said opposite ends of said dust tight housing over each of which one of said seal belts is trained and positioned to seal said opening means adjacent said dust tight housing, a pair of reels, means mounting said reels to shuttle with said dust tight housing whereby one of said belts Winds on one of said reels and the other of said belts winds oil of the other of said reels as said feeder housing means shuttles along said longitudinal axis, and means uring said reels to wind said seal belts thereon whereby said reel may rotate at different speeds as said feeder housing means shuttles along said longitudinal axis.

4. Feeder means adapted to shuttle along a longitudinal axis about which the feed opening forming means of material receiving means is arranged, said feeder means including substantially dust tight housing means, means for closing said feed opening means between each of opposite ends of said housing means and the adjacent end of said feed opening means including a pair of seal belts, roll means carried adjacent each of said opposite ends of said dust tight housing over each of which one of said seal belts is trained and positioned to seal said opening means adjaqent said dust tight housing, a pair of reels whereby one of said belts Winds on one of said reels and the other of said belts winds off of the other of said reels as said feeder housing means shuttles along said longitudinal axis, and means urging said reels to wind said seal belts thereon whereby said reels may rotate at different speeds as said feeder housing means shuttles along said longitudinal axis.

5. Apparatus of the class described including means for receiving material having means forming feed opening means arranged about a longitudinal axis, feeder means adapted to shuttle along said longitudinal axis, means for closing said feed opening means between each of said opposite ends of said feeder means and the adjacent end of said feed opening means including a pair of seal belts, means mounting each of said seal belts adjacent one of said opposite ends of said feeder means, a pair of reel means each adapted to carry one of said seal belts whereby one of said belts Winds on one of said reels and the other of said belts winds off of the other of said reels as said housing means shuttles along said longitudinal axis, and means urging said reels to Wind said seal belts thereon whereby said reels may rotate at different speeds as said feeder means shuttles along said longitudinal axis.

6. Feeder means adapted to shuttle along a longitudinal axis about which the feed opening forming means of material receiving means is arranged, said feeder means including substantially dust tight housing means, means for closing said feed opening means between each of opposite ends of said housing means and the adjacent end of said feed opening means including a pair of seal belts, means mounting each of said seal belts adjacent one of said opposite ends of said housing means, a pair of reel means each adapted to carry one of said seal belts whereby one of said belts winds on one of said reels and the other of said belts winds off of the other of said reels as said feeder housing means shuttles along said longitudinal axis, weight means, and means connecting said weight means to rotate said reel means thereby urging said reels to wind said seal belts thereon whereby said reels may rotate at diflerent speeds as said feeder housing means shuttles along said longitudinal axis.

7. Feeder means adapted to shuttle along a longitudinal axis about which the feeder opening forming means of material receiving means is arranged, said feeder means including substantially dust tight housing means, means for closing said feed opening means between each of opposite ends of said housing means and the adjacent end of said feed opening means including a pair of seal belts, means mounting each of said seal belts adjacent one of said opposite ends of said housing means, a pair of reel means each arsenal;

adapted to carry one of said seal belts whereby one of said belts winds on one of said reels and the other of said belts winds off of the other of said reels as said feeder housing means shuttles along said longitudinal axis, a pair of drums each adapted to drive one of said reel means, weight means, and means connecting said Weight means to said drums whereby said weight means urges said drums to rotate said reels to wind said seal belts thereon and whereby said reels may rotate at different speeds as said housing means shuttles along said longitudinal axis.

8. Shuttle type feeder apparatus for feeding material in a substantially dustless manner into a bunker means, said feeder apparatus including an endless belt conveyer, means carrying said endless belt conveyer to shuttle in reverse directions along an axis along which the feed opening forming means of said bunker means is arranged, said feeder apparatus also including two spaced substantially dust tight housing means arranged to house the opposite ends of said endless conveyer and through which the latter may discharge material into said bunker means, means for closing said bunker feed opening means between said spaced housing means including seal belt means extending below said endless belt conveyer, roller means adjacent each of said housing means adapted to shuttle therewith and over which said seal belt is trained, one of said roller means laying said seal belt over said bunker feed opening means and the other removing it therefrom as said feeder apparatus shuttles along said axis, means for closing said feed opening means between each of said housing means and the adjacent end of said bunker feed opening means including a pair of seal belts, means mounting each of said pair of seal belts adjacent one of said housing means, a pair of reel means each adapted to carry one of said belts whereby one of said belts winds on one of said reels and the other winds off of the other of said reels as said feeder housing means shuttles along said longitudinal axis, and means urging said reels to wind said belts thereon whereby said reels may rotate at different speeds as said feeder housing means shuttles along said longitudinal axis, 7

9. Shuttle type feeder apparatus for feeding material in a substantially dustless manner into a bunker means, said feeder apparatus including an endless belt conveyer, means carrying said endless belt conveyer to shuttle in reverse directions along an axis along which the feed opening forming means of said bunker means is arranged, said feeder apparatus also including two spaced substantially dust tight housing means arranged to house the opposite ends of said endless conveyer and through which the latter may discharge material into said bunker means, F

therewith and over which said seal belt is trained, one of M said roller means laying said seal belt over said bunker feed opening means and the other removing it therefrom as said feeder apparatus shuttles along said axis, means for closing said feed opening means between each of said housing means and the adjacent end of said bunker feed opening means including a pair of seal belts, means mounting each of said pair of seal belts adjacent one of said housing means, and a pair of reel means each adapted to carry one of said belts whereby one of said belts winds on one of said reels and the other Winds off of the other of said reels as said feeder housing means shuttles along said longitudinal axis.

10. Shuttle type feeder apparatus for feeding material in a substantially dustless manner a bunker means, said feeder apparatus including an endless belt conveyer, means carrying said endless belt conveyer to shuttle in reverse directions along an axis along which the feed opening forming means of said bunker means is arranged, said feeder apparatus also including two spaced substantially dust tight housing means arranged to house the opposite ends of said endless conveyer and through'which the latter may discharge material into said bunker means, means for closing said bunker feed opening means between said spaced housing means including seal belt means extending below said endless belt conveyer, and roller means adjacent each of said housing means adapted to shuttle therewith and over which said seal belt is trained, one of said roller means laying said seal belt over said bunker feed opening means and the other removing it therefrom as said feeder apparatus shuttles along said axis.

ll. Shuttle type feeder apparatus for feeding material into a bunker means, said feeder including reversible conveyer means adapted to shuttle bodily in reverse directions along the feed opening means of said bunker means, means for closing said feed opening between the ends of said conveyer means including a seal belt means, means for laying said seal belt over said feed opening adjacent one end of said conveyer, means for removing said belt from said feed opening adjacent the other end of said conveyer as said feeder apparatus shuttles along said feed opening, seal belt means for closing said feed opening from opposite ends to adjacent each end of said conveyer, and reel means upon which said last named seal belts may be wound.

12. Shuttle type feeder apparatus for feeding material into a bunker means, said feeder including reversible conveyer means adapted to shuttle bodily in reverse directions along the feed opening means of said bunker means, means for closing said feed opening between the ends of said conveyer means including a seal belt means, means for laying said seal belt over said feed opening adja cent one end of said conveyer, means for removing said belt from said feed opening adjacent the other end of said conveyer as said feeder apparatus shuttles along said feed opening, and seal belt means for closing said feed opening from opposite ends to adjacent each end of said conveyer.

13. Shuttle type feeder apparatus for feeding material in a substantially dustless manner into a bunker means, said feeder including reversible conveyer means adapted to shuttle bodily in reverse directions along the feed opening means of said bunker means, housing means arranged to house the opposite ends of said endless conveyer, means for closing said feed opening between the ends of said conveyer means including a seal belt means, means for laying said seal belt means over said feed opening adjacent one end of said conveyer, means for removing said seal belt means from said feed opening adjacent the other end of said conveyer as said feeder apparatus shuttles along said feed opening, seal belt means for closing said feed opening from opposite ends to adjacent said housing means, and a reel means car r'ied adjacent said housing means upon which said last named seal belt means may wind and unwind respectively as said feeder shuttles along said feed opening.

14. Shuttle type feeder apparatus for feeding material in a substantially dustless manner into a bunker means, said feeder including reversible conveyer means adapted to shuttle bodily in reverse directions along the feed opening means of said bunker means, housing means arranged to house the opposite ends of said endless .conveyer, means for closing said feed opening between the ends of said conveyer means including a seal belt means, means for laying said seal belt means over said feed opening adjacent one end of said conveyer, means for removing said seal belt means from said feed opening adjacentthe other end of said conveyer as said feeder apparatus shuttles along said feed opening, and seal belt means for closing said feed opening from opposite ends to adjacent said housing means.

15. Shuttle type feeder apparatus for feeding material in a substantially dustless manner into a bunker means, said feeder including reversible conveyer means adapted to shuttle bodily in reverse directions along the feed opening means of said bunker means, housing means arranged to house the opposite ends of said endless conveyer, means for closing said feed opening between the ends of said conveyer means including a seal belt means, means for laying said seal belt means over said feed opening adjacent one end of said conveyer, and means for removing said seal belt means from said feed opening adjacent the other end of said conveyer as said feeder apparatus shuttles along said feed opening.

References Cieed in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

